Armand Girouard
December 28th, 1991 - September 29th, 2019
Ernendro Pedro Philippe
September 14th, 1987 - September 29th, 2019
Shawna Jo Carbonaro
March 1st, 1985 – September 29th, 2019
~
Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Orlando, Florida
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Orlando, Florida
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:
Location: Deland, Florida
Accident Number: ERA19FA283
Date and Time: September 29, 2019, 16:00 Local
Registration: N731PF
Aircraft: Cessna 421
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 3 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis
The owner of the airplane had purchased the airplane with the intent to resell it after repairs had been made. As part of that process, a mechanic hired by the owner had assessed the airplane’s condition, proposed the necessary repairs to the airplane’s owner, and had identified a pilot who would, once the repairs and required inspection annual inspection had been completed, fly the airplane from where it was located to where the owner resided. While the mechanic had identified a potential pilot for the relocation flight, he had not yet completed the repairs to the airplane, nor had he completed the necessary logbook entries that would have returned the airplane to service.
The pilot-rated passenger onboard the airplane for the accident flight, was the pilot who had been identified by the mechanic for the relocation flight. Review of the pilot-rated passenger’s flight experience revealed that he did not possess the necessary pilot certificate rating, nor did he have the flight experience necessary to act as pilot-in-command of the complex, high-performance, pressurized, multi-engine airplane. Additionally, the owner of the airplane had not given the pilot-rated-passenger, or anyone else, permission to fly the airplane. The reason for, and the circumstances under which the pilot-rated passenger and the commercial pilot (who did hold a multi-engine rating) were flying the airplane on the accident flight could not be definitively determined, although because another passenger was onboard the airplane, it is most likely that the accident flight was personal in nature. Given the commercial pilot’s previous flight experience, it is also likely that he was acting as pilot-in-command for the flight.
One witness said that he heard the airplane’s engines backfiring as it flew overhead, while another witness located about 1 mile from the accident site heard the accident airplane flying overhead. The second witness said that both engines were running, but they seemed to be running at idle and that the flaps and landing gear were retracted. The witness saw the airplane roll to the left three times before descending below the tree line. As the airplane descended toward the ground, the witness heard the engines make “two pop” sounds.
The airplane impacted a wooded area about 4 miles from the departure airport, and the wreckage path through the trees was only about 75-feet long. While the witnesses described the airplane’s engines backfiring or popping before the accident, the post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, examination of both propeller blades showed evidence of low rotational energy at impact, and that neither propeller had been feathered in flight.
Given the witness statement describing the airplane “rolling three times” before it descended from view toward the ground, it is most likely that the pilot lost control of the airplane and while maneuvering. It is also likely that the pilot’s lack of any documented previous training or flight experience in the accident airplane make and model contributed to his inability to maintain control of the airplane.
Toxicology testing was performed on the pilot’s chest cavity blood. The results identified 6.7 ng/ml of delta-9-tetrahydracannabinol (THC, the active compound in marijuana) as well as 2.6 ng/ml of its active metabolite, 11-hydroxy-THC and 41.3 ng/ml of its inactive metabolite delta9-carboxy-THC. Because the measured THC levels were from cavity blood, it was not possible to determine when the pilot last used marijuana or whether he was impaired by it at the time of the flight. As a result, it could not be determined whether effects from the pilot’s use of marijuana contributed to the accident circumstances.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane, which resulted in a collision with terrain. Contributing was the pilot’s lack of training and experience in the accident airplane make and model.
Findings
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot
Aircraft (general) - Not attained/maintained
Personnel issues Total experience w/ equipment - Pilot
Factual Information
On September 29, 2019, about 1600 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 421, N731PF, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain near DeLand Municipal Airport (DED), DeLand, Florida. The commercial pilot, pilot-rated passenger, and aft-seated passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The owner of the airplane stated that he purchased the airplane on June 21, 2019, and that planned to make repairs and resell the airplane. The airplane was based at DED at the time of purchase and had not undergone an annual inspection for several years. The owner hired a mechanic to make the necessary repairs and conduct an annual inspection of the airplane. During the inspection, the mechanic informed the owner that the left tachometer generator and the fuel gauges were inoperative and that other items also needed repair or replacement. Once the work was done and the annual inspection was signed off, the mechanic would find a pilot to transport the airplane to Texas, where the owner resided. The mechanic subsequently found a pilot who he thought would be able to fly the airplane to Texas (the pilot-rated passenger).
The mechanic stated that he had not completed the repairs to the airplane or signed off the airplane’s annual inspection at the time of the accident flight. The airplane owner stated that he did not know the pilot or the passengers and that he was not aware that the airplane was being flown at that time.
A witness in the vicinity of the accident site shortly before the accident stated that he heard the airplane fly overhead at an altitude of about 2,000 ft and described the engines as sounding “rough.” About 10 minutes later, he observed the airplane overhead at an altitude of 1,000 ft and heard the engine “sputtering and backfiring.”
According to another witness who was about 1-mile away from the accident site, he heard the accident airplane flying very low overhead. He then observed the airplane banking to the left and said that both engines seemed to be running at “low idle.” As he continued to watch the airplane, he noticed that the flaps and landing gear were retracted. The witness also observed the airplane roll to the left three times before descending below the tree line. As the airplane descended toward the ground, the engines made “two pop” sounds. The witness saw no smoke coming from the airplane during the descent.
The airplane crashed in a heavily wooded area and a post-impact fire ensued.
The pilot, age 27, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot also held a flight instructor certificate with an airplane single-engine rating. His Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first-class medical certificate was issued June 4, 2018. A review of the pilot’s logbook revealed that the last entry was dated May 29, 2019. The total pilot-in-command time entered was 500 hours, including about 40 hours of multiengine airplane flight time. The logbook did not show that the pilot had received any instruction or had logged any previous flight experience in the Cessna 421. While the pilot did have an endorsement in his logbook for the operation of high-performance airplanes, he did not have an endorsement for the operation of complex airplanes.
The pilot-rated passenger, age 32, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on April 12, 2019. A review of his pilot logbook revealed a total of 155 flight hours, all in single-engine airplanes.
A review of the airplane’s maintenance records revealed that the airplane received its last annual inspection on February 15, 2014, at a Hobbs meter time of 858 hours. The Hobbs meter reading at the time of the 2019 examination was 862 hours.
The main wreckage was located about 4 nautical miles from DED on a 230° magnetic heading. The wreckage path was about 75 ft in length from the first broken tree branch, which was about 75 ft high, to the location where the airplane came to rest at the base of a tree in an upright position. There were freshly broken branches at the wreckage site.
All flight control surfaces were located at the accident site. The cockpit section of the airplane was crushed, and a tree trunk extended from the bottom of the fuselage to the top of the right side of the cockpit. The fuselage exhibited crush damage to the aft pressure bulkhead. The empennage was broken away from the fuselage at the aft pressure bulkhead and remained partially attached by flight control cables. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers remained attached to the empennage. The vertical stabilizer was buckled, and the rudder was attached at the lower attachment points. The rudder was broken in two parts; the lower section containing the rudder trim was buckled, and the upper section was also buckled and partially attached to the remaining rudder assembly.
Examination of both engines and their components revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation or production of the rated horsepower. Examination of both propellers revealed the presence of witness marks that showed contact between the blade counterweights and the propeller hub, which were consistent with the propellers being at a low pitch position (and not feathered) during impact. Additionally, the damage to the propeller hubs and their assemblies, as well as the twisting, bending, and paint scuffing observed on the propeller blades, were all consistent with relatively low rotational energy at impact.
The Office of the Medical Examiner, Daytona Beach, Florida, performed an autopsy on the pilot and pilot-rated passenger. Their cause of death was blunt force trauma.
For the pilot, toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified in chest cavity blood samples, 6.7 ng/ml of delta-9-tetrahydracannabinol (THC, the active compound in marijuana), 2.6 ng/ml of its active metabolite 11-hydroxy-THC, and 41.3 ng/ml of its inactive metabolite delta-9-carboxy-THC. In addition, 12.5 ng/ml of THC, 390 ng/ml of 11-hydroxy-THC, and 734.5 ng/ml of delta-9-carboxy-THC were found in urine samples. The tests were negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol.
For the pilot-rated passenger, toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs.
History of Flight
Maneuvering Loss of control in flight (Defining event)
Pilot Information
Certificate: Commercial; Flight instructor
Age: 27, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Multi-engine land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane single-engine
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: June 4, 2018
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Estimated) 500 hours (Total, all aircraft), 0 hours (Total, this make and model), 185 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft)
Pilot-rated passenger Information
Certificate: Private
Age: 32, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: April 12, 2019
Occupational Pilot: UNK
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Estimated) 155 hours (Total, all aircraft)
Passenger Information
Certificate:
Age: Female
Airplane Rating(s):
Seat Occupied: Rear
Other Aircraft Rating(s):
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s):
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s):
Toxicology Performed:
Medical Certification:
Last FAA Medical Exam:
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N731PF
Model/Series: 421 Undesignated
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1968
Amateur Built:
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 421-0164
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 6
Date/Type of Last Inspection: February 15, 2014 Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 6841 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 4 Hrs
Engines: 2 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 858 Hrs
Engine Manufacturer: Continental
ELT: C91A installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: GTSIO-520-D
Registered Owner:
Rated Power: 375 Horsepower
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: DED, 79 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 4 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 15:55 Local
Direction from Accident Site: 230°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 3100 ft AGL
Visibility 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 4800 ft AGL
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 7 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /
Wind Direction: 60°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30.07 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 29°C / 23°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Deland, FL (DED)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Deland, FL (DED)
Type of Clearance: VFR
Departure Time: 15:42 Local
Type of Airspace: Class G
Airport Information
Airport: Deland Muni-Sidney H Taylor Fi DED
Runway Surface Type:
Airport Elevation: 79 ft msl
Runway Surface Condition: Unknown
Runway Used:
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing: None
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: On-ground
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 3 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 29.024444,-81.344169
=================
Location: Deland, FL
Accident Number: ERA19FA283
Date & Time: 09/29/2019, 1600 EDT
Registration: N731PF
Aircraft: Cessna 421
Injuries: 3 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On September 29, 2019, about 1600, eastern standard daylight time, a Cessna 421, N731PF, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain near Deland, Florida. The commercial pilot, pilot-rated passenger, and aft-seated passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from DeLand Municipal Airport-Sidney H Taylor Field (DED), Deland, Florida about 1542.
According to the owner of the airplane, he purchased the airplane on June 21, 2019, with plans to make repairs before selling it. The airplane was base at DED at the time of purchase and had not had an annual inspection for several years. The owner hired a mechanic to make necessary repairs and conduct an annual inspection on the airplane. During the inspection of the airplane, the mechanic informed the owner that the left tachometer generator and the fuel gauges did not work, along with other items that needed repair and replacement. The owner planned that once all of the work was done and the annual was signed off, the mechanic would find a pilot to transport the airplane to Texas, where he resided. The mechanic subsequently told the owner that he found a flight instructor that was able to fly the airplane back to Texas (the pilot-rated passenger). The owner stated that he did not know the pilot nor the other passenger onboard the airplane, and was not aware that the airplane was being flown by anyone when the accident occurred.
The mechanic he stated that he had not completed the necessary repairs to the airplane, nor had he signed off the airplane's annual inspection at the time of the accident.
According to air traffic control (ATC), a review of radar data revealed that the flight departed DED and proceeded to a point about 17 miles southwest of DED. The airplane was observed on radar conducting flight maneuvers at 2,500 ft. After the flight maneuvers were completed the airplane was observed heading back to DED. While returning to DED, the airplane descended until it reached 1,000 ft, then made a left turn before radar contact was lost. There were no ATC services and no voice communications with ATC.
According to a witness in the area at the time of the accident, he heard the airplane fly over at an altitude about 2,000 ft, and described the engine(s) sound as "rough." About 10 minutes later he observed the airplane coming back at an altitude of 1,000 ft and the engine sounds included "sputtering and backfiring." He was able to identify the airplane as a twin-engine Cessna and white in color. He did not see any smoke or fire emitting from the airplane when it flew over but continued to observe the airplane as it descended below the tree line. The witness did not see or hear the crash, but later that evening he heard about it on the local news and contacted the local authorities to report what he saw and heard.
According to another witness, about a mile away from the accident site, he was in his garage and heard the accident airplane flying over. It sounded very loud so he walked out of his garage and down his driveway to see. He said both engines were running, but they seemed to be running at idle. As he continued to watch the airplane, he said that it was flying "very slow and very low", and the flaps and landing gear was retracted. Suddenly the airplane rolled to the left and began to "spiral downward" three times before descending below the tree line. As the airplane spiraled to the ground the engines made "two popping" sounds before crashing into a wooded area. No smoke was seen emitting from the airplane during the descent. He report what he saw to the local authorities, and the local authorities responded shortly afterwards.
The pilot, age 27, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot also held a flight instructor certificate with an airplane single engine rating. His Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first-class medical certificate was issued June 4, 2018. A review of the pilot's logbook revealed that the last entry was dated May 29, 2019. The total pilot in command time entered was 500 hours, including approximately 40 hours of multiengine flight time. Of the 500 hours, approximately 185 hours was flight instruction given in single engine airplanes. The logbook did not show that the pilot had received any instruction or had logged any previous flight experience in the Cessna 421.
The pilot-rated passenger, age 32, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most-recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on April 12, 2019. A review of the pilot logbook revealed a total of 155 flight hours, all in single-engine airplanes.
The airplane was manufactured in 1968. It was powered by two Continental GTSIO-520-D engines each rated at 375 horsepower. The engines were each equipped with a McCauley three-blade, controllable-pitch propeller. Review of the maintenance records revealed the airplane was last inspected in accordance with an annual inspection on February 15, 2014, at a Hobbs meter time of 858 hours. The current Hobbs reading at the time of the examination was 862 hours.
The DED weather at 1555 was reported as wind from 060° at 7 knots, 10 miles visibility or greater, a scattered ceiling at 3,100 ft above ground level (agl), broken skies at 4,800 ft agl, temperature of 29° Celsius (C), dew point temperature of 23° C, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury.
The airplane crashed in a heavy wooded area; the main wreckage was located approximately 4 nautical miles from DED on a 230 magnetic degree heading. The wreckage path was about 75 ft in length from the first broken tree branch, which was about 75ft high from where the airplane came to rest.
Examination of the accident site revealed the airplane was at the base of a tree in a upright position. There were freshly cut branches at the wreckage site. All flight control surfaces were located at the accident site. The cockpit section of the airplane was crushed and a tree trunk extended from the bottom of the fuselage through the top of the right side of the cockpit. The fuselage exhibited crush damage to the aft pressure bulkhead. The empennage was broken away from the fuselage at the aft pressure bulkhead and remained partially attached by flight control cables. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers remained attached to the empennage. The vertical stabilizer was buckled and the rudder was attached at the lower attachment points. The rudder was broken in two parts, the lower section containing the rudder trim was buckled. The upper section of the rudder was also buckled and partially attached to the remainder of the rudder assembly.
The horizontal stabilizer remained attached to the empennage and was buckled. The elevators were buckled remained attached to the horizontal assembly. Flight control cable continuity was established from the control yoke, rudder pedals and the trim actuator; to the rudder, rudder trim tab, elevator assemblies.
An examination of the left wing assembly revealed that a post-crash fire destroyed the wing assembly outboard of the engine nacelles. The left engine and nacelle exhibited fire and impact damage, and the inboard section of the wing remained attached to the fuselage at the wing root. The left landing gear was found in the extended position and the flaps were retracted. The left main and auxiliary fuel tanks were destroyed by post-crash fire. Flight control cables were found within the left wing assembly and extended outboard to fire damaged wing area. Flight control continuity was established from the aileron, aileron trim tab cables, to the control yoke and trim actuator.
Examination of the right wing assembly revealed that a post-crash fire destroyed the wing assembly outboard of the engine nacelles. The right engine and nacelle exhibited fire and impact damage, and the inboard section of the wing remained attached to the fuselage at the wing root. The right landing gear was found in the extended position and the flaps were retracted. The right main and auxiliary fuel tanks were destroyed by post-crash fire. Flight control cables were found within the right wing assembly and extended outboard to fire damaged wing area. Flight control continuity was established from the aileron, cables to the control yoke.
Examination of the right engine revealed that the crankcase remained intact and displayed impact and thermal damage signatures. There were no holes in the case that would indicate a catastrophic internal engine failure. The propeller flange remained attached to the rest of the propeller flange; the flange displayed impact damage and was bent. The propeller shaft gear was partially visible after removing the alternator; the gear displayed normal operating signatures. The propeller shaft was rotated using a hand tool; continuity was established between the propeller shaft, reduction gear, quill shaft, crankshaft, camshaft, connecting rods, and associated components. All six cylinders remained attached to their cylinder bays and displayed varying amounts of impact and thermal damage.
The cylinders were inspected using a lighted borescope. The piston faces, cylinder bores and valve heads displayed normal operating and combustion signatures. While rotating the propeller shaft it was noted that all six cylinders displayed thumb compression and suction. During rotation it was noted that all the rocker arms and valves moved accordingly.
Examination of the right propeller assembly revealed the three blade, constant speed propeller remained partially attached to the propeller flange and displayed impact damage signatures. The propeller blade marked "A" displayed minor damage to the rubber boot. The propeller blade marked "B" displayed minor impact damage near the root of the blade. Propeller blade marked "C" displayed minor S-bending as well as significant aft bending deformation. During the on scene portion of the investigation several tree branches were found with clean approximate 45 degree angle cuts and appeared to have black paint transfer on the right side of the airplane.
Examination of the left engine revealed that the crankcase remained intact and displayed impact and thermal damage signatures. There were no holes in the case that would indicate a catastrophic internal engine failure. The propeller flange remained attached to the rest of the propeller flange; the flange displayed impact damage and was bent. The propeller shaft gear was partially visible after removing the alternator; the gear displayed normal operating signatures. The propeller shaft was rotated using a hand tool; continuity was established between the propeller shaft, reduction gear, quill shaft, crankshaft, camshaft, connecting rods, and associated components. The crankshaft gear was visible after removing the starter adapter; the gear remained intact and was undamaged. All six cylinders remained attached to their cylinder bays and displayed varying amounts of impact and thermal damage. The cylinders were inspected using a lighted borescope; the piston faces, cylinder bores, and valve heads displayed normal operating and combustion signatures. While rotating the propeller shaft all cylinders displayed thumb compression and suction and all of the overhead valve components moved accordingly.
Examination of the left propeller assembly revealed the three blade, constant speed propeller remained partially attached to the propeller flange and displayed impact damage signatures. The propeller blade marked "A" displayed minor impact damage to the root and was not bent. The propeller blade marked "B" displayed S-bending, twisting, and aft bending deformation as well as significant polishing of the cambered side. The propeller blade marked "C" displayed aft bending deformation and leading edge polishing near the tip. During the on scene portion of the investigation several tree branches were found with clean approximate 45 degree angle cuts and appeared to have black paint transfer on the left side of the airplane.
Accident Number: ERA19FA283
Date & Time: 09/29/2019, 1600 EDT
Registration: N731PF
Aircraft: Cessna 421
Injuries: 3 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On September 29, 2019, about 1600, eastern standard daylight time, a Cessna 421, N731PF, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain near Deland, Florida. The commercial pilot, pilot-rated passenger, and aft-seated passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from DeLand Municipal Airport-Sidney H Taylor Field (DED), Deland, Florida about 1542.
According to the owner of the airplane, he purchased the airplane on June 21, 2019, with plans to make repairs before selling it. The airplane was base at DED at the time of purchase and had not had an annual inspection for several years. The owner hired a mechanic to make necessary repairs and conduct an annual inspection on the airplane. During the inspection of the airplane, the mechanic informed the owner that the left tachometer generator and the fuel gauges did not work, along with other items that needed repair and replacement. The owner planned that once all of the work was done and the annual was signed off, the mechanic would find a pilot to transport the airplane to Texas, where he resided. The mechanic subsequently told the owner that he found a flight instructor that was able to fly the airplane back to Texas (the pilot-rated passenger). The owner stated that he did not know the pilot nor the other passenger onboard the airplane, and was not aware that the airplane was being flown by anyone when the accident occurred.
The mechanic he stated that he had not completed the necessary repairs to the airplane, nor had he signed off the airplane's annual inspection at the time of the accident.
According to air traffic control (ATC), a review of radar data revealed that the flight departed DED and proceeded to a point about 17 miles southwest of DED. The airplane was observed on radar conducting flight maneuvers at 2,500 ft. After the flight maneuvers were completed the airplane was observed heading back to DED. While returning to DED, the airplane descended until it reached 1,000 ft, then made a left turn before radar contact was lost. There were no ATC services and no voice communications with ATC.
According to a witness in the area at the time of the accident, he heard the airplane fly over at an altitude about 2,000 ft, and described the engine(s) sound as "rough." About 10 minutes later he observed the airplane coming back at an altitude of 1,000 ft and the engine sounds included "sputtering and backfiring." He was able to identify the airplane as a twin-engine Cessna and white in color. He did not see any smoke or fire emitting from the airplane when it flew over but continued to observe the airplane as it descended below the tree line. The witness did not see or hear the crash, but later that evening he heard about it on the local news and contacted the local authorities to report what he saw and heard.
According to another witness, about a mile away from the accident site, he was in his garage and heard the accident airplane flying over. It sounded very loud so he walked out of his garage and down his driveway to see. He said both engines were running, but they seemed to be running at idle. As he continued to watch the airplane, he said that it was flying "very slow and very low", and the flaps and landing gear was retracted. Suddenly the airplane rolled to the left and began to "spiral downward" three times before descending below the tree line. As the airplane spiraled to the ground the engines made "two popping" sounds before crashing into a wooded area. No smoke was seen emitting from the airplane during the descent. He report what he saw to the local authorities, and the local authorities responded shortly afterwards.
The pilot, age 27, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot also held a flight instructor certificate with an airplane single engine rating. His Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first-class medical certificate was issued June 4, 2018. A review of the pilot's logbook revealed that the last entry was dated May 29, 2019. The total pilot in command time entered was 500 hours, including approximately 40 hours of multiengine flight time. Of the 500 hours, approximately 185 hours was flight instruction given in single engine airplanes. The logbook did not show that the pilot had received any instruction or had logged any previous flight experience in the Cessna 421.
The pilot-rated passenger, age 32, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most-recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on April 12, 2019. A review of the pilot logbook revealed a total of 155 flight hours, all in single-engine airplanes.
The airplane was manufactured in 1968. It was powered by two Continental GTSIO-520-D engines each rated at 375 horsepower. The engines were each equipped with a McCauley three-blade, controllable-pitch propeller. Review of the maintenance records revealed the airplane was last inspected in accordance with an annual inspection on February 15, 2014, at a Hobbs meter time of 858 hours. The current Hobbs reading at the time of the examination was 862 hours.
The DED weather at 1555 was reported as wind from 060° at 7 knots, 10 miles visibility or greater, a scattered ceiling at 3,100 ft above ground level (agl), broken skies at 4,800 ft agl, temperature of 29° Celsius (C), dew point temperature of 23° C, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury.
The airplane crashed in a heavy wooded area; the main wreckage was located approximately 4 nautical miles from DED on a 230 magnetic degree heading. The wreckage path was about 75 ft in length from the first broken tree branch, which was about 75ft high from where the airplane came to rest.
Examination of the accident site revealed the airplane was at the base of a tree in a upright position. There were freshly cut branches at the wreckage site. All flight control surfaces were located at the accident site. The cockpit section of the airplane was crushed and a tree trunk extended from the bottom of the fuselage through the top of the right side of the cockpit. The fuselage exhibited crush damage to the aft pressure bulkhead. The empennage was broken away from the fuselage at the aft pressure bulkhead and remained partially attached by flight control cables. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers remained attached to the empennage. The vertical stabilizer was buckled and the rudder was attached at the lower attachment points. The rudder was broken in two parts, the lower section containing the rudder trim was buckled. The upper section of the rudder was also buckled and partially attached to the remainder of the rudder assembly.
The horizontal stabilizer remained attached to the empennage and was buckled. The elevators were buckled remained attached to the horizontal assembly. Flight control cable continuity was established from the control yoke, rudder pedals and the trim actuator; to the rudder, rudder trim tab, elevator assemblies.
An examination of the left wing assembly revealed that a post-crash fire destroyed the wing assembly outboard of the engine nacelles. The left engine and nacelle exhibited fire and impact damage, and the inboard section of the wing remained attached to the fuselage at the wing root. The left landing gear was found in the extended position and the flaps were retracted. The left main and auxiliary fuel tanks were destroyed by post-crash fire. Flight control cables were found within the left wing assembly and extended outboard to fire damaged wing area. Flight control continuity was established from the aileron, aileron trim tab cables, to the control yoke and trim actuator.
Examination of the right wing assembly revealed that a post-crash fire destroyed the wing assembly outboard of the engine nacelles. The right engine and nacelle exhibited fire and impact damage, and the inboard section of the wing remained attached to the fuselage at the wing root. The right landing gear was found in the extended position and the flaps were retracted. The right main and auxiliary fuel tanks were destroyed by post-crash fire. Flight control cables were found within the right wing assembly and extended outboard to fire damaged wing area. Flight control continuity was established from the aileron, cables to the control yoke.
Examination of the right engine revealed that the crankcase remained intact and displayed impact and thermal damage signatures. There were no holes in the case that would indicate a catastrophic internal engine failure. The propeller flange remained attached to the rest of the propeller flange; the flange displayed impact damage and was bent. The propeller shaft gear was partially visible after removing the alternator; the gear displayed normal operating signatures. The propeller shaft was rotated using a hand tool; continuity was established between the propeller shaft, reduction gear, quill shaft, crankshaft, camshaft, connecting rods, and associated components. All six cylinders remained attached to their cylinder bays and displayed varying amounts of impact and thermal damage.
The cylinders were inspected using a lighted borescope. The piston faces, cylinder bores and valve heads displayed normal operating and combustion signatures. While rotating the propeller shaft it was noted that all six cylinders displayed thumb compression and suction. During rotation it was noted that all the rocker arms and valves moved accordingly.
Examination of the right propeller assembly revealed the three blade, constant speed propeller remained partially attached to the propeller flange and displayed impact damage signatures. The propeller blade marked "A" displayed minor damage to the rubber boot. The propeller blade marked "B" displayed minor impact damage near the root of the blade. Propeller blade marked "C" displayed minor S-bending as well as significant aft bending deformation. During the on scene portion of the investigation several tree branches were found with clean approximate 45 degree angle cuts and appeared to have black paint transfer on the right side of the airplane.
Examination of the left engine revealed that the crankcase remained intact and displayed impact and thermal damage signatures. There were no holes in the case that would indicate a catastrophic internal engine failure. The propeller flange remained attached to the rest of the propeller flange; the flange displayed impact damage and was bent. The propeller shaft gear was partially visible after removing the alternator; the gear displayed normal operating signatures. The propeller shaft was rotated using a hand tool; continuity was established between the propeller shaft, reduction gear, quill shaft, crankshaft, camshaft, connecting rods, and associated components. The crankshaft gear was visible after removing the starter adapter; the gear remained intact and was undamaged. All six cylinders remained attached to their cylinder bays and displayed varying amounts of impact and thermal damage. The cylinders were inspected using a lighted borescope; the piston faces, cylinder bores, and valve heads displayed normal operating and combustion signatures. While rotating the propeller shaft all cylinders displayed thumb compression and suction and all of the overhead valve components moved accordingly.
Examination of the left propeller assembly revealed the three blade, constant speed propeller remained partially attached to the propeller flange and displayed impact damage signatures. The propeller blade marked "A" displayed minor impact damage to the root and was not bent. The propeller blade marked "B" displayed S-bending, twisting, and aft bending deformation as well as significant polishing of the cambered side. The propeller blade marked "C" displayed aft bending deformation and leading edge polishing near the tip. During the on scene portion of the investigation several tree branches were found with clean approximate 45 degree angle cuts and appeared to have black paint transfer on the left side of the airplane.
The preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board about a fatal plane crash in Deland in September said the Cessna 421 had not had an annual inspection in more than five years and was not supposed to be in flight.
The plane crashed in a wooded area off State Road 44 and Grand Avenue on September 29th and burst into flames.
The pilot, Armand Girouard, a former Embry Riddle student and current employee, was killed along with two passengers.
The report said the Texas-based owner of the plane bought it this past June and planned to make repairs before selling it.
According to the report, the owner hired a mechanic who discovered parts, including fuel gauges and a left tachometer generator, that didn't work and other parts that needed repair.
According to the report, the repairs had not been completed when the crash occurred nor did the owner know the plane was in flight.
A pilot-rated passenger on board had been identified by the mechanic as someone who could fly the plane back to Texas once the repairs were complete.
https://www.wesh.com
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N731PF
Model/Series: 421 Undesignated
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: DED, 79 ft msl
Observation Time: 1555 EDT
Distance from Accident Site: 4 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 29°C / 23°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 3100 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 7 knots / , 60°
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 4800 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.08 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Deland, FL (DED)
Destination: Deland, FL (DED)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries:N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 3 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 29.024444, -81.344167
Armand Girouard
Shawna was employed at IHOP where she was a server, alongside family and friends. She enjoyed living Life, playing pool, dancing, singing music of all genres and making everyone in her presence happy. She set her goals high in life and was determined to achieve them all, big or small.
Shawna is survived by her grandmothers Karen Carroll, Barbara Robertson, and Leona Carbonara (Granny Lee), her grandfather David Crane Sr., mother Suzanne Rice, father Dom Carbonaro, step-father David Crane Jr, step-mother Maria Carbonaro, three children Da’mon Floyd, Shawnice Floyd, Dominique Toliver, two sisters Jamie Rice, Cadie Crane, one brother David Tyler Crane, many Aunts and Uncles, several cousins, nieces and nephews, and several friends.
A Funeral Service will be held Friday October 4th, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. The Service will take place at Deltona Memorial Funeral Home & Cemetery, 1295 Saxon Blvd. Orange City, Fl. 32763.
Donations are accepted and appreciated. An account has been set up on her behalf. Thank you, https://www.gofundme.com
He was a successful entrepreneur with many interests and passions. In a short time, he ran successful businesses, became a master technician, and a real estate investor. He was also able to carry out his greatest childhood dream of becoming a pilot. Andrew always enjoyed sharing his love for flying with family and friends. We were so proud to watch him live out his dreams.
Andrew went by many names, father, Son, brother, uncle, nephew, & friend. He was a devoted father to his Son Isaiah and a selfless person who always put his family first. He always made sure to share the legacy of his late mom in all of his accomplishments.
Andrew was many things-humble, loving, caring, generous, outgoing, intelligent, laid back & family orientated he did many charitable works from his heart.
Andrew is survived by his beloved father, Pedro Philippe, his two amazing brothers Adler Sanon and Rodney Philippe, Megan Brown, and their Son Isaiah Philippe. He also leaves memories to be cherished by his loving Aunt Esther Fleury-Alexa; cousins: Aisha Beauvais, Randy Fleury, Melissa Fleury Sandra Fleury-Sanon, Youdy Sanon and there four children.
Andrew grew up in church, and he is a believer in Christ. His favorite verse was john 3:17 " For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn but to save the world through him. In Andrew's words (LOVE ALL SERVE ALL).
A National Transportation Safety Board's investigator-in-charge was due to the scene Monday morning.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, the Cessna 421 Golden Eagle crashed at about 4 p.m. Sunday near West New York Avenue and Grand Avenue and caught fire.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they found the three people with no pulse, deputies said. Several witnesses told authorities they saw the plane go down.
"We tried to put the fire out with fire extinguishers," Greg Kwiatkowski said. "(We) blew through like 10 fire extinguishers and didn’t do anything."
The Sheriff's Office on Monday released the identities of the victims: Armand Girouard, 27, of DeLand; Ernendro Philippe, 32, of Kissimmee; and Shawna Carbonaro, 34, of DeLand. Girouard was the pilot.
The Sheriff's Office released body camera footage and 911 audio on Monday and said the crash investigation has been turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB.
NTSB spokesperson Terry Williams stressed the agency is in the “fact-gathering stage." A preliminary report is expected within 10 days, outlining the facts gathered by the investigator. It will not draw any conclusions about possible causes of the crash -- that will be included in the NTSB’s final report, which could take months or more complete.
The NTSB investigator will continue to work at the crash site Tuesday. At some point soon, the wreckage will be moved to a more secure location as the investigation continues, Williams said.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.mynews13.com
